Method of making a water and oilthinnable coating composition



Patented Aug. 26, 1947 METHOD OF MAKING A WATER'AND OIL- THINNABLE COATING CQMPQSITION Gustavus Harry 1V.[iller,,Port1and,,0reg.

No-Drawi'ng. Application April 18, 1944, Serial N0. 531,658

7 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to surface coating compositions such as varnishes, paints and the like, more particularly to those of the type which may be thinned with water, and to methods for making the same.

Protective coating compositions usually comprise a vehicle consisting of a base of a drying oil or a resin, or a mixture thereof, dissolved in a volatile thinner with or without a quantity of pigment, and also a small amount of a drier. Following application, the thinner evaporates, leaving the base material, which upon dryin forms the protective film. A large proportion of the total cost of the usual coating composition is represented by the thinner constituent which is added primarily merely to facilitate the application or spreading of the composition over a surface. Thinners, suchas turpentine, coal tar or petroleum fractionsand the like, arerelatively costly and considerable research has been directed toward the reduction of the quantity required of this particular component.

Attempts have been made heretofore to employ water in resin or oil base vehicles, but, on the whole, the results have been only mediocre due ,to the inherently water insoluble nature of the vehicle base materials. Various compositions have been developed in which a limited quantity of water is introduced into the product in the manufacturing process in the form of a waterin-oil emulsion. The amount of water which it has been possible heretofore to add into the vehicle has been relatively small, generally less than half of the usual amount of solvent thinner. Additional amounts of water cannot subsequently be added, as by the user, for further thinning such compositions, and any attempt so to do has an opposite efiect, that is of increasing the viscosity rather than decreasing it. In such compositions the water component is merely a diluent and not a true thinner. In order .to thin such varnishes or paints for application it is necessary to employ a spirit thinner as in the case of the more conventional varnishes or paints. It is desirable to provide coating compositions such as varnishes, paints, or the like, which may readily be thinned as required with water and which, at the same time, are fast drying, leaving protective films which are water resistant, abrasion resistant, and having a surface which is either flat, semi-flat, semi-glossy, or glossy, depending upon the selection of the vehicle base materials.

It is a general object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a new and improved surface coating composition which may be thinned with water.

It'is a further object to provide a new and improved surface coating composition having a resinous or drying oil vehicle. base which may be thinned with water and, upon application to a 2 surface, dries rapidly to form a protective film which can be made tov possess desired qualities as to water and abrasion resistance or surface smoothness, depending upon variations in thevehicle base components.

More specifically, it an object ofv theinvention to provide a surface coating composition comprising a protective film forming material which is insoluble in water and having admixed therewith a quantity of a dispersant which, when diswater.

-And another object is to provide a new and improved dispersion medium which may be combined with a common oil paint base and form-a coating composition therewith which may be thinned either with conventional spirit thinners, or with water asdesired.

In the preparation of surface coating compositions according to the present invention, I employ a dispersionmedium, or dispersantwhichiscompatible with ordinary vehicle solvents and also with water, and capable of forming aclear, stable dispersion therebetween. Thusa small amount of the dispersant is firstmixed with aselected vehicle base material and dissolved therewith by a suitable common solvent in an-amount sufiicient to provide'a clear solution. Since the'dispersant is also water soluble, water may thenbe added to reduce the Viscosity of the solutionasmaybe required for application to a surface.

The dispersant itself is comprised essentially of an alkalimetal resinate prepared by reacting an aqueous mixture of abietic acid, or rosin, and a relatively strong alkali base such. as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. As will be more fully explained hereinafter, the dispersant may be prepared accordingtonumerous modifications depending upon the particular .typeof coating composition under consideration. It may alsoibe produced indiiferent forms for use under various specific conditions.

Theresinate dispersant is freely soluble in such ordinary vehicle solvents as aliphatic alcohols, turpentine, toluol, benz ol, petroleum naphthas, and aromatic petroleum fractionsof the solvent type, as well as in water. The dispersantrmay be mixed with such resinous film forming materials as rosin, natural resins, and dispersablesynthetic resinscomprising those of the couma fqneindene; phenolic, maleic or alkyd types,; andifnot readily soluble therein can be dissolved therewith by a small amount of a suitable solvent which is common to both such as turpentine, toluol, benzol, aromatic petroleum solvents, or petroleum thinners. The dispersant may also be added to and dissolved in any of the typical drying oils such as linseed oil, soy bean oil, and similar vegetable oils, also refined fish oils, and whale oil. The viscosity of the resultant solution may be adjusted with the addition of a small amount of a suitable common solvent. The term common solvent as usedin the specification and in the claims denotes substances having properties that will dissolve both the dispersant and the vehicle base material, such as resins or oils or mixtures thereof, into clear solutions.

The resins and oils may be combined in any desired proportions in accordance with the particular properties as desired in the final coating film with or without the addition of such other ingredients as pine oil, drying oil, fatty acids, or a small amount of a solution of a cellulose ester, such as ethyl cellulose, Or a solution of chlorinated rubber for improving the brushing, flexibility, and abrasion characteristics of the coating and for retarding the drying sufiiciently for facilitating the application thereof to surfaces, or for improving water resistance of the film. This vehicle, which may be pigmented or not, as desired, is miscible with water in all proportions and. which may be added thereto for thinning purposes and, if unpigmented, may be applied to surfaces either as a clear varnish or a clear wall sealer, depending upon the extent of thinning. No special precautions need be taken in adding the water as a thinner other than mere stirring of the mixture while slowly adding the water until the desired consistency has been reached. The dispersion or suspension thus formed is exceedingly stable, that is, th composition may be allowed to stand over relatively long periods of time without any noticeable separation of water taking place. The alkali metal resinate dispersant which is employed is a low cost material as compared with the cost of the usual emulsifiers or binders, and, due to the fact that the use of the dispersant eliminates the need for solvent as a thinner and enables the us of water for such purpose, a very substantial saving is effected in the total cost of the ingredients required to produce a given quantity of surface coating composition ready for application.

The vehicle may be packaged as a thick, viscous liquid leaving to the consumer the matter of thinning for application, and since water is the only thinner required, a very definite advantage results to the consumer, not only from the standpoint of cost, but also as to the ready availability of the thinner.

Another advantage of coating compositions according to one modification of the present invention resides in the fact that the vehicle may be packaged in a concentrated form containing no water, and consequently, the composition will not freeze at temperatures higher than the freezing temperatures for the various oils or solvents employed. Because only a minimum amount of solvent is present, the fire hazard of the composition is greatly minimized. When employed with long oil, medium oil, and short oil varnishes, the dispersant materially improves the adhesion and drying properties without detrimentally clouding or raising the viscosity of such varnishes.

Following the spreading of the vehicle, the volatile solvent and the water will evaporate in turn from the layer of the substance. The resultant film will level out smoothly and evenly without the formation of bubbles or droplets of water, leaving the dried film free from pits or pin holes which has characterized many of the water emulsion type oil paints developed heretofore. Since the vehicle base materials are not miscible with water, the resultant film becomes water insoluble upon drying. While the resinate dispersant remains in the film and, even though it was initially water soluble, this property is lost in the dried film due to the fact that each minute particle thereof is thoroughly surrounded and bonded by the principal water insoluble vehicle ingredients.

Pigments as used in the paint industry, such as titanium dioxide, the various lithopones, lead, zinc, and synthetic iron oxides ort'ne like, and suitable coloring matter as desired may be added to the dispersant containing vehicle and produced and packaged in the form of a thick paste, leaving to the consumer, again, the matter of thinning with water to the desired consistency for spreading. It will be obvious, of course, that the water may be added before packaging, if desired in the case of ready-mixed type paints,

As will be pointed out more fully hereinafter, the dispersant may be mixed in the dry powdered form with such dry varnish and paint film forming materials as powdered resins and the like and combined with dry pigments, which mixture can conveniently be shipped in paper bags. The specified amount of common solvent may be added by the consumer to the. mixture to first form a paste and which may then be thinned with water in suitable proportions to prepare the composition for application to surfaces.

In order that the invention may more fully be understood and practiced by those skilled in the art to which it pertains, the following formulas and examples are given:

DISPERSAN T A The abietic acid is first pulverized and then mixed with sixteen parts of water in a beaker large enough to hold twice the volume of the total ingredients. The potassium hydroxide, borax and four parts of water are added to another beaker and stirred until dissolved and, while still hot from the heat of reaction between alkali and water, are added to the first mixture with constant stirring until the mass is thoroughly mixed. Heat is then applied and the remaining twenty-four parts of water are slowly stirred into the combined mixtures. When the temperature reaches -90 C. the mass begins to boil and becomes liquid with foam on the top. After boiling for about a minute or two, with continuous stirring, the heat is removed and the mass allowed to cool to room temperature and then stirred again until smooth. The resultant product, light amber in color and of a thin pastelike consistency, is a potassium-borate-abietic acid resinate with approximately a thirty-one per cent solids content and which may be used in this form as a dispersant in the manner described.

Sodium hydroxide may be substituted for pctassium hydroxide and either plain, hydrogenated or polymerized gum or wood rosin for abietic acid in the above formula, and since sodium hydroxide and rosin are relatively lower in cost, the use 7 of these materials may be desired for reasons of greater economy; If sodium hydroxide and rosin are used in the preparation of the dispersant following the same procedure as outlined above, it will be observed that the resultant product will separate into two distinct phases. One of the componentswill be alight straw-colored, foamy mass, whilethe other. component will be a relatively dark colored liquid, Both of these components are effective as, dispersants and may be used separately. or inacombined form. Ifv a dispersant in a dry powder formis desired, then the foamy mass may be dried, as by spray drying, and used in this form. Because of its light color, the. vehicle compounded therewith will be correspondingly light in color. On the other hand the liquid phase, being relatively dark in color, will correspondingly darken the vehicle compounded therewith. If a vehicle base is to be prepared and in which a relatively small percentage of water is not objectionable, the light colored, foamy mass may be used in the wet form without first drying it.

For general use, as in coating compounds which are not to be subjected to subfreezing temperatures and which, hence, may contain a certain amount of water, the two separate phases of the last mentioned dispersant. may be recombined into a clear liquid dispersant with the addition thereto of a small amount of a common solvent. For such a solvent I prefer to use one to three parts toluol, benzol, petroleum aromatic solvent, mineral spirit or a mixture thereof, to one part of a relatively high boiling point alcohol, such as butyl alcohol. The addition of butyl alcohol imparts certain desirable properties to the dispersant in that it enhances the solubility characteristics of the common solvent. Butyl alcohol, a polar liquid, is a good Wetting agent, miscible with Water, and lowers the viscosity of both the dispersant and paint vehicle to which it is added. Since it also lowers the freezing point of Water thinnable paints, it assists in their application to cold, damp and frosty surfaces as in the case of camouflage coatings or other exterior paints.

The amount of water may be reduced very materially from that stated above to lower the moisture content of the dispersant. For example, by reducing the water to twelve parts a dispersant of a soft, paste-like consistency is produced which has a solids content of approximately sixty-two per cent.

The following is an example of a dispersant which may be prepared in a single vessel and. in one operation.

DISPERSANT B Parts by weight Petroleum thinner (No. 9 Union Oil Company of California, or equivalent) 4 No. 40 aromatic petroleum solvent (Union Oil Company of California) 1 W. W. rosin 16 Sodium hydroxide 2 Borax 2 Water (distilled preferred) 8 The petroleum thinner, aromatic solvent, rosin, sodium hydroxide and borax are added in the orderstated to a beaker equal in size to twice the volume, of the total ingredients and thoroughly mixed. Eight parts of water are slowly added with constant stirring to form a soft straw color paste which after cooling over night separates into a liquid and a granular solid. The liquid is decanted and the rem ining. emis-stilt Paste of a,

mercially dry product.

pale straw color-is a dispersant soluble-.igall ordi nary liquid vehicle components.

If it is desired to prepare the, dispersant a,

dry form, as for storage and future use, the;.f,ol lowing-modification is recommended;

DISPERSANT C Parts by weight,

Hydrogenated rosin (Staybelite, Hercules Power Company, or equivalent) 16 Pine oil 1 Potassium hydroxide 3 Borax Water (distilled preferred) 8 Heat is applied and the mixture is cooked ata temperature of about to C. until the last trace of water has been evaporated after which it is poured into a cooling pan to harden. Al-

though .the solid dispersant requires breaking. up by the user, it i more compact than a powdered or pulverized product, requires less shipping space and is not as susceptible to oxidation or combus.-.

tion and therefore no antioxidant is. required. This solid dispersant may be considered as a com- Further modifications. of dispersants which may be prepared: in a, solid; form will be described later.

Hydrogenated rosin is used in this formula; because of its inherent resistance to oxidation; and stability to heat and sunlight. It is also pointed out that this type of rosin has, certain apparent advantages over abietic acid and standard grades of rosin due to its non-yellowing properties when used in the formulation of white interior and exterior paints. The small amount of pine oil is used in this case to prevent excessive foaming during the reaction.

The proportions as set forth in, the above v formulas as well as in those following are not to be taken as being critical in that they are susceptible of considerable variation. For example, to every sixteen parts of abietic acid, or rosin, the relative quantity of potassium or sodium hy-i droxide may, in general, be varied from one; to, four parts with satisfactory results, while the borax may be varied successfully from. one-half to two and one-half parts. It is to be understood that even these ranges are not to be taken as definite, though the results obtained are in general less satisfactory as these ranges are exceeded.

The borax functions in the manner of a buffer and prevents excessive darkening of the resinate- While such darkening does not materially affect, the quality of the roducts as a dispersant, the dark color is generally undesirable, particularly if clear, pale, or light colored varnishes or mixing and grinding vehicles are to be produced. On the other hand, the larger the amount of boraxemployed, the weaker will be the dispersing value;

u h as either q s ium. i odium. or: t ip EXAMPLE 1 Pigment Parts by weight Titanium dioxide (water dispersable preferred) 250 .Lithopone H. 0. (water dispersable preferred) 125 'Zinc oxideXX 40 Talc 150 .Asbestine 75 Vehicle Parts by weight .Limed rosin, China-wood oil, varnish 30 gal.

long, 40% solids, acid No. 8 to 12 180 Gloss oil, 60% solids (N-Glo-S-Y, General Naval Stores Company, Inc., or equivalent) 40 Aromatic petroleum solvent (No. 40, Union Oil Company of California, or equivalent)- 90 The varnish, gloss oil, petroleum solvent and pigment ingredients are added to a heavy duty :mixer in the order and amounts as stated above "with constant stirring and thoroughly mixed. This mixture is then transferred to a conven- -tional paint mill and ground forming one of the :usually accepted interior white semi-flat wall -paste paints and which does not thin with water. However, it can readily be made capable of being fthinned with water by adding to it a small quantity of dispersant as given below. It will be obvious that the dispersant will dissolve readily :in the above paste paint due to the common :solvent contained in the vehicle.

Parts by weight Dispersant (62% solids) 30 .Above paste 90 Linseed oil fatty acids (double distilled preferred) 3 The resultant paint paste can be thinned to brush consistency with thirty parts by weight of water.

This semi-ilat interior paint, also used as an enamel undercoat, is of a short liquid type that brushes easily, levels and hides well, flows out smoothly and after drying over night, provides a hard tough film that may be washed repeatedly with cold water.

It is pointed out, that even though the dispersant is added to the above oil vehicle paint to make it water thinnable, it may still be thinned with the usual spirit thinners. Thus if it is to be applied to new wood then water should not be used because of its tendency to raise the grain and pirit thinners should be used instead for the first coat. For subsequent coats, or over old paint, or on new surfaces other than wood, the same paint may be used thinned with water.

EXAMPLE 2 The outside paint of the following example, instead of using varnish, gloss oil and petroleum aromatic solvent as the vehicle, uses linseed oil as the sole vehicle binder for the pigment so that a more flexible paint film is provided which will 8 dry to a semi-gloss finish within a period of twenty-four hours.

Pigment I Parts by weight Titanium dioxide (70% barium base) 40 Titanium dioxide 96 Zinc oxide XX 16 Asbestine 6 Talc 6 Vehicle Parts by weight Boiled linseed oil (pale preferred) 45 Pale kettle bodied linseed oil (body Q) 4 The vehicle is placed in a mixer and the pigments in the order and amounts as stated above are slowly added to the vehicle with constant stirring and thoroughly mixed. This mixture is then transferred to a conventional paint mill and ground and the resultant product, which cannot be thinned with water, is one of the usually accepted outside white paste paints though also recommended as an undercoat in two coat paint systems.

Paste paint Parts by weight The above outside white paste Dispersant (62% solids) 27 Linseed oil fatty acids (double distilled preferred) These ingredients are thoroughly mixed together to provide a water thinnable paste paint. To reduce the paste to brush consistency, twenty-seven parts of water are added. The resultant semigloss paint brushes easily, levels and hides well, and after drying twenty-four hours, provides a tough film that may-be washed repeatedly with cold water.

The dispersants may be modified considerablyfrom the simple forms given above so as to pro-- vide improved characteristics to the final coating material. The following example is illustrative of numerous possible modifications particularly suitable for use'with outside paints.

DISPERSANT D The previously pulverized polymerized rosin, aromatic petroleum solvent, butyl alcohol, sodium hydroxide and borax are added to a beaker large enough to hold at least twice the volume of the total ingredients, and thoroughly mixed. Water is then slowly added with constant stirring and the heat of reaction between sodium hydroxide and water facilitates solution of all the ingredients. Fifteen parts linseed oil is promptly added to the hot solution and stirring is continued to produce a smooth soft paste having a vehicle solids content of approximately sixtyseven per cent and a water content of fifteen per cent. The linseed oil is added to improve the flow and gloss of the final paint product as will be more fully described in the following example.

Butyl alcoholenhances the solubility characteristics of. the ingredients and togetherwith the aromatic petroleum is an excellentsolvent for the resin. The butyl alcohol in the dispersant also contributes to the essential compatibility of the various liquids in the finalproduct.

The-product'of Dispersant D is substantially more than -merely a dispersant and is -in the nature of a combination dispersant and vehicle. Itmay be thinned asit iSWith water andused. as a varnish or clear wall sealer, or pigment-may be added with a small amount of solvent to form a paste paintrwhichmay then be thinnedwith water and used for coating interiorsurfaces. It.is.particularly suitable, however ,,for use in the preparation of a heavily pigmented outside paint as will next be described.

Ester gum, China-:wood oil, varnish 30 gal.

long, 40% solids, acid No. 8 to 12 31 .Pale kettle bodiedlinseed oil (body Q) 16 .Boiled linseed oil (pale.preferred) 105 Aromatic petroleum solvent (No. 40, Union Oil Company of- California,or equivalent)! 8 Gum turpentine 1 Theliquids are addedto -a standardheavy duty mixer and the lead paste and pigments in their order and amounts as stated above are slowly added to the Vehicle with constant stirring and thoroughly mixed. This mixture is thentransferred to a conventional paint mill and ground and the resultant product is one of the usually accepted durable outside white paste paints and .which cannot'be thinned with water. However,

this paint can be made so as to be thinnable with water by combining a dispersant therewith as follows:

Parts by weight Dispersant D 5 The above paste paint 25 The :product of formula D, an alkali metal resinate, not onlyforms-an excellent dispersant but alsoacts as a drierior-the paint much like other ,resinate driers used indrying paint-films. Because itis a combined oil and resin drier instead of a linoleate drier,.it=contributes to the formation of a harder tougher paint film. No additional drier is needed unless a quickerdust free, film is desired, then a small amount of cobalt naphthanate or resinate may be added as a top drier. The paint brushes easily, levels .well, hides nicely, is white anddries to a smooth semi gloss finish overnight .aftenwhich it may be readily Washed with cold water. A. hi her. gloss finish is produced by the application of a second coat.

In the preparation of a high gloss paint, as willnext be described, pale kettlebodied linseed oil, commonlyused as..an enamelliquid, isem- .ployed instead ofboileddinseed oil. .Butyl alcohol is used for the same reasons asabove.

DISPERSANT E Parts by weight Polymerized rosin (poly pale resin, Hercules Powder Company, or equivalent) 32 Potassiumhydroxide 8 Petroleum paint thinner (No. 9, Union :Oil

Company of California, or equivalent)--- 7 Butyl alcohol (normal preferred) 7 Water (distilledpreferred) 10 'Pale kettle bodied linseed oil (body Q) 8 The rosin, potassium hydroxide, paint thinner and butyl alcohol are mixed together and the water is slowly added with constant stirring, While .theheat of reaction betweenalkali and water completes the dissolutionof the polymerized rosin. The'linseed oil is then addedzto the resultant soft paste and thoroughly mixed-therewith to provide a heavy bodied liquid dispersant. It will be noted that no borax is employed in this instance.

EXAMPLE 4 Vehicle Parts by weight Dispersant E 4 Gloss oil, 60% solids (N-Glo-5-Y, General Naval Stores Company, Inc., or equivalent) 10 The above ingredients are thoroughlymixedand a clear, straw-color water thinnable paint vehicle is formed thereby.

Paste paint Parts by weight Titanium oxide (water dispersable preferred) 30 Above paint vehicle 30 These ingredients are thoroughly mixed together to provide a water thinnable interior gloss paste paint, ,two volumes of which may be thinned with one volume of water for brushing consistency. The resultant paint brushes'easily,

hides very nicely, fiows and covers well and'dries to a smooth glossy'film that is unusually white and which can readily-be washed with cold water drying over night.

Linseed oil fatty acids are used in the succeeding example to lower the pH value, to release surface tension and alsoprovide slip, for easier brush application, while pine oil is added to assist the flow and leveling properties. 'Sodium hydroxide is used'in place of potassium hydroxidetolower the cost of the final product.

DISPERSANT. F

Parts by weight Polymerized rosin (poly pale resin, Hercules Powder Company, or equivalent) .16 Pine oil (double distilled preferred) 4 Sodium hydroxide 3 Borax i 1 Water (distilled preferred) 8 Petroleum paint thinner (N0. 29, Union Oil Company of California, or equivalent) -16 Boiledlinseed oil (pale refinedpreferred) 16 Linseed oil'fatty acids (doubledistilledpreferred) 3 The rosin and one part pine oil are first thoroughly mixed in a beaker. The sodium hydroxide andborax aredissolvecl in eight parts water and the resultant solution while still hot from the heat of reaction is immediately added to the rosin mixture and stirred less than a minute. The liquid will separate from the polymerized rosin and with the aid of a spatula, can be 11 squeezed out and decanted. The alkali treated rosin is then heated to approximately 90 C. whereupon it becomes fluid and the heat is then removed. The petroleum paint thinner and Vehicle Parts by weight Dispersant F 30 Alkyd resin solution (50% solids in mineral spiritsNo. 1323 Aroplaz, Stroock & Wittenberg, or equivalent) 25 Paste paint Parts by weight Titanated lithopone (Tidolith 44K, United Color & Pigment Company, or equivalent) 40 Above vehicle 2.0 This is a water thinnable paste paint and which can be reduced with fifteen parts by weight of water for brush consistency. The resultant paint brushes easily, levels well, hides very nicely, is white and dries to a smooth semigloss film over night and can then be readily washed with cold water.

In the preparation of a dry dispersant for storage and distribution in such form, vehicle resins may be combined therewith so as to simplify the compounding of the paint by the ultimate consumer. Maleic resin is combined with the dispersant in the following formula.

DISPERSANT G Parts by weight Polymerized rosin (poly pale resin, Hercules The previously pulverized polymerized rosin, sodium hydroxide and borax are added to a beaker large enough to hold twice the volume of the total ingredients, the water is added and the materials are stirred with a glass rod until thoroughly mixed. Nearly eight parts of water will separate from the solid materials and which is decanted. The mixture is then cooked at a temperature of about 85 to 90 C. for three to five minutes, or until dissolved. The pine oil and linseed oil are then added and cooking is continued at a temperature sufficient to bring the materials to the boiling point, whereupon forty-eight parts maleic resin, which has been simultaneously heated to 250 to 260 C. in a separate container, are immediately added and the combined materials are then cooked until a drop on glass becomes clear and brittle at room temperature. The resultant mass is then poured into a cooling pan to harden forming a clear hard combined dispersant and resin. This material may be shipped or stored until it is to be used when it may be dissolved in an equal amount by weight of aromatic petroleum solvent, toluol, turpentine or the like, or a mixture thereof and ten to fifteen per cent by weight butyl alcohol, forming 12 a solution which is a clear liquid which can be used as it is a paint vehicle, varnish or clear sealer, that will thin with water in all proportions.

EXAMPLE 6 Formula G, made with polymerized rosin in combination with a maleic resin having a melting point of C. may also be used as in the following example to provide a dried film which will be highly resistant to abrasion, while the alkyd resin solution, as part of the completed vehicle, is necessary to increase the water resistance of the final product.

Vehicle Parts by weight Dispersant G Aromatic petroleum solvent (No. 40, Union Oil Company of California, or equivalent)- 18 Alkyd resin solution (50% solids in mineral spirits, No. 1323 Aroplaz, Stroock 8a Wittenberg, or equivalent) 64:

The dispersant and solvent are mixed together and stirred until completely dissolved. The alkyd resin is then mixed into the mass forming a medium bodied vehicle of a clear straw color and which may be thinned with water.

Paste paint Parts by weight Titanium oxide (water dispersible preferred)- 30 Above vehicle 25 These ingredients are thoroughly mixed together to provide a water thinnable paste paint. Thirty-five parts of water is added to reduce the paste to brush consistency. The resultant paint which is unusually white, brushes freely, hides and levels well. The dried film is smooth and free from brush marks. One coat covers excellently and after drying over night, the applied paint can be washed with cold water repeatedly.

For the next example part of the polymerized rosin is used for the dispersant and the balance is added to provide a solid combined resin and dispersant and which, of course, is not as hard as would result from a combination of polymerized rosin and a maleic resin of the type used in formula G; however, a very satisfactory product is obtained from polymerized rosin and which may be used as the sole binder with complete satisfaction for interior water thinnable paints.

DISPERSANT H Boiled linseed oil (pale refined preferred) 12 Sixteen parts previously pulverized polymerized rosin, one part pine oil and four parts of water are thoroughly mixed. Three parts sodium hydroxide and one part borax are mixed together in a separate container and the remaining four parts of water are slowly added and stirred until dissolved. While the resultant solution is still hot from the heat of reaction between the alkali and water, it is immediately added to the rosin mixture and stirred a short while, less than a minute. The liquid will separate from the rosin particularly when the solids are pressed or packed together and the liquid decanted. The

*13 alkali contacted rosin is then' heated until fluid, whereupon twelve parts of boiled linseed oil are slowly added with constant stirring followed with .theremaining thirty-two parts of 1 pulverized rosin and thoroughly im'ixed. .Cooking .iscontinued until a sampledrop on glass becomesclear and brittle whencooled to room temperature,

after which the mass is poured into cooling pans to harden.

This mass may be subsequently dissolved as desired by a suitable solvent to provide a water thinnable vehicle.

EXAMPLE '7 The above materials are mixed together in a beaker, and because of the poor solvency of the petroleum thinner, are heated on a water bath and stirred until completely dissolved. The resultant water thinnable paint vehicle has a clear light amber color.

Paste paint Parts by weight Titanium oxide (water dispersable preferred) 40 Above vehicle 30 These ingredients are thoroughly mixed together to provide a water thinnable paste paint. For brush consistency, two volumes of paste paint are thinned with one volume of water. The resultant product unusually white, brushes easily, hides well and levels out into a smooth fiat finish that can be readily washed with cold water after drying over night.

It will be readily apparent from a consideration of the diiferent examples of dispersants and surface coating compositions which may be formed therewith, as set forth above, that the dispersant of the present invention is applicable throughout a broad field of surface coating compositions. Thus it is seen that both interior and exterior paints and varnishes may readily be made water thinnable. The term water thinnable is used so as to distinguish the surface coating compositions of the present invention from those which can be thinned only with water for, as stated above, the surface coating compositions prepared in accordance with the present invention may be thinned either with water or with the usual spirit thinners as desired.

Having described the invention in what are considered to be a few typical embodiments thereof it is desired that it be understood that the specific proportions and ingredients may be varied considerably without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. The method of making a non-aqueous vehicle material for producing paint compositions capable of being thinned with water, said method comprising the steps of reacting substantially sixteen parts by weight of rosin with from one and one-half to four parts of a base selected from the group consisting of potassium and sodium hydroxide and from one-half to two and one-half parts borax, removing the liquid component of the reaction products, mixing the solid component of the reaction product with a fatty drying oil to form a heavy bodied vehicle miscible with both water and spirit thinners.

The process of making a composition for use as a dispersant in the production of waterand oil-thinnable coating compositions which comprises reacting about 16 parts of comminuted rosin with a mixture comprising between about I i/ and about 4 parts sodium hydroxide, between about 4 parts and about 24 parts water, between about-1 part and about 6 parts pine oil, and between about /ipart and about 2 parts borax, wherein parts are expressed as parts by weight, thereaction being effected at a temperature of about 60 C. for a time of between about minute and about 5 minutes, and separating from the resulting mixture a solid phase comprising 'particles of rosin having surface coatings of alkali metal rosinatc,

3. The process of makin a composition for use as a dispersant in the production of water-thinnable and oil-thinnable coating compositions which-comprises reacting about 16 parts of a comminuted rosin with a -mixture comprising between about 1 /2 and about 4 parts alkali metal hydroxide, between about 4 parts and about 24 parts Water, between about 1 part and about 6 parts pine oil, and between about A; part and about 2. parts borax, parts being expressed as parts by weight, the reaction being effected at a temperature of between about 50 C. and about C. for a, time of between about A.; minute and about 5 minutes, and separating from the resulting mixture a solid phase comprising particles of rosin having surface coatings of alkali metal rosinate.

4. The process of making a dispersant for use in paints, varnishes and the like, which process comprises reacting about 16 parts of a comminuted rosin with about 1 /2 to about 4 parts alkali metal hydroxide, and about 4 parts to about 24 parts water, parts being expressed as parts by weight, at a temperature of between about 50 C. and about 100 C., for a time of between about minute and about 5 minutes thereby forming a solid phase comprising alkali metal rosinatecoated rosin particles and a liquid phase comprising an aqueous solution of unreacted alkali metal hydroxide, and separating said solid phase from said liquid phase,

5. The process of making a waterand oilthinnable dispersing composition for use in paints, varnishes and the like, which process comprises reacting about 16 parts of comminuted abietic acid, about 1% to about 4 parts alkali metal hydroxide, and about 4 parts to about 24 parts water, parts being expressed as parts by weight, at a temperature of between about 50 C. and about 100 C. for a time of between about minute and about 5 minutes thereby forming a solid phase comprising particles of abietic acid having surface coatings of alkali metal abietate and a liquid phase comprising an aqueous solution of unreacted alkali metal hydroxide, and separating said solid phase from said liquid phase.

6. The process of making a solid dispersant for coating compositions which are thinnable with aqueous and spirit thinners which process comprises reacting about 16 parts of a comminuted rosin, about 1 to about 4 parts alkali metal hydroxide, and about 4 parts to about 24 parts water, parts being expressed as parts by weight, at a temperature of between about 50 C. and about 100 C., for a time of between about 1 minute and about 5 minutes thereby forming a solid phase comprising alkali metal rosinate-coated rosin particles and an aqueous phase containing unreacted alkali metal hydroxide, separating said 15 solid phase from said aqueous phase and drying said solid phase.

7. The process of making a coating composition which is thinnable with Water and spirit thinners, which comprises reacting about 16 parts by weight of a comminuted rosin with an aqueous solution comprising from about 1 parts to about 4 parts by weight of alkali metal hydroxide dissolved in from about 4 parts to about 24 parts by weight water at a temperature of from about 50 C. to about 100 C. for a reaction time of from about 0.5 minute to about 5 minutes, separating the resulting solid product comprising particles of rosin having surface coatings of alkali metal rosinate, and admixing said solid product with a film-forming material.

GUSTAVUS HARRY MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Georgi June 20, 1944 Exley June 5, 1928 Dreshfield Dec. 30, 1941 Borglin Aug, 10, 1943 Hirsch Mar. 27, 1945 Rowland May 10, 1938 Langmeier May 20, 1941 Zingg Feb. 25, 1902 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Feb. 12, 1917 OTHER REFERENCES Ind. Eng. Chem, 26, 712 (1934). 

